TGV M: A Tour Aboard the New TGV inOui

Written by Sophie Renassia

Published on March 12, 2025, modified yesterday

Update as of November 6, 2026: The TGV M is on track! Renamed the TGV Nouvelle Génération, it made its maiden voyage on November 6 between Paris and Marseille and began carrying its first passengers on November 9. Periods, symptoms, and how to recognize them: We'll tell you everything here.

More spacious, more modern, more accessible, more economical, and more environmentally friendly? That is the ambitious promise of the TGV M: the SNCF’s new generation of high-speed trains. On Tuesday, March 11, 2025, our reporters had the chance to take a look inside it, before it hits the tracks, November 6, 2026, between Paris and Marseille. So, in practical terms, what can you expect? A ride on the “train of the future.”

Listen to our podcast episode on this topic!

March 2025: We got a sneak peek at the interior of the TGV M

That’s it. After nearly ten years of development, the project is finally coming to fruition. We were already familiar with the new blue-white-red colors of the TGV inOui trains, designed to embody French elegance. But on Tuesday, March 11, 2025, SNCF Voyageurs and Alstom unveiled for the first time Inside the TGV M.

A crowd gathers for the presentation of the new train at Gare de Lyon in Paris

With its “M” standing for “Modularity,” the TGV M was designed to adapt to the changing needs of passengers. More flexible and efficient, it’s also more environmentally friendly, consuming 20% less energy than previous generations, while being 97% recyclable. David Goeres, head of the TGV M project (who joined us to share a behind-the-scenes look on our podcast "Want a drag?") states: “The TGV M is designed to be scalable, adaptable, and to support the transformation of mobility over the next 30 years.” To learn more and check out the podcast episode, we've got all the details in this article:

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TGV M: How the SNCF's New TGV Aims to Revolutionize Rail Travel

A true “little technological gem,” according to executives at SNCF and the manufacturer Alstom. Christophe Fanichet, then CEO of SNCF Voyageurs, specifically referred to a “fifth generation of TGVs that will make a lasting impression and to be the benchmark for high-speed rail in the coming decades". The innovation was also praised by the transportation minister, who emphasized how proud he is to have such a great rail industry in France (and we have to agree with him!)."

Innovations: What's Changing Onboard

Accessibility for People with Disabilities

A major breakthrough: the TGV M is the first TGV that is fully accessible to people in wheelchairs, allowing them to travel completely independently! This is excellent news, especially when you consider how much of a challenge traveling by train can be for people with disabilities. Using a lift ramp and a gap filler between the platform and the door, Passengers in wheelchairs can access the accessible car on their own. Passengers can also order food and drinks from their seats and make their way to the accessible restrooms on their own.

Car for passengers with limited mobility

Romain, also known as Roro the Strong On social media, he points out: “It’s clear that it was Designed by and for those affected. “Nine organizations were reached out to for input on the project, and it really shows! We can now be completely independent, and that’s nothing short of a revolution for us.”

TGV restrooms with accessibility features

The “BistrO TGV inOui”: a two-story bar car

Bye bye the bar car, hello The bistro! For this two-story space, the designers focused on creating a welcoming atmosphere, and we can only applaud that choice. Conceived by the Arep agency (a subsidiary of SNCF Gares et Connexion) in collaboration with Nendo (a Japanese design firm), the “bistrO TGV inOui” is accessible on two levels, still in a 4-seater car :

On the ground floor: self-service refrigerators, coffee machines, microwaves, and self-checkout registers.
on the mezzanine: places to sit and eat, either alone or in a group.

Refrigerator in the bistro on the ground floor

Bike parking spaces

Attention avid cyclists: three designated areas can accommodate up to 8 bikes.

No more excuses for not choosing a train-and-bike trip!

By the way, if you haven't taken the plunge yet, feel free to check out Tips from Bertrand and Marion, who came to tell us about their bike-and-train trip from Paris to Tokyo!

More space AND comfort

The TGV M offers up to 20% more seats. That's great news, especially since demand just keeps growing!

As David Goeres explained to us, thanks to its modular design, the TGV M will be able to quickly switch between configurations Ouigo (740 seats) in a standard configuration InOui (600 seats, including first- and second-class seating). “What used to take weeks of work on the old trains can now be done in a single day by two employees. This is a huge time saver, but it also gives us an advantage in responding quickly to market needs.”

Updated November 6, 2026 : At launch, the SNCF announced 573 seats in the "inOui" configuration and up to 740 in the maximum configuration, excluding the bar car.

But that doesn't mean comfort has been compromised: passengers still have 5 cm more legroom in second class, and l The seats are 5 cm wider in first class (we'll tell you more about it here). With their “hammock effect,” the seats are designed to accommodate all body types. They also come equipped with everything you need: storage space under the seats, headrests, a small tray for a glass or your smartphone, a 220-volt outlet and a USB port, a light…

Originally announced for the 2024 Paris Olympics, the train finally made its maiden voyage on Friday, November 6, 2026, between Paris and Marseille (Everything You Need to Know About Getting It Up and Running). In short, as our founder Benjamin puts it: “An exciting first look, which makes the wait—following delays in its release—feel even longer…”

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TGV M: How the SNCF's New TGV Aims to Revolutionize Rail Travel

Written by Sophie Renassia

Issue du monde de la communication et des médias, Sophie est Responsable éditoriale chez HOURRAIL ! depuis août 2024. Elle est notamment derrière le contenu éditorial du site ainsi que La Locomissive (de l'inspiration voyage bas carbone et des bons plans, un jeudi sur deux, gratuitement dans ta boîte mail !).

Convaincue que les changements d’habitude passent par la transformation de nos imaginaires, elle s’attache à montrer qu’il est possible de voyager autrement, de manière plus consciente, plus lente et plus joyeuse. Son objectif : rendre le slow travel accessible à toutes et tous, à travers des astuces, des décryptages et surtout, de nouveaux récits.